Ice making device



Oct. 17, 1961 P. E. UPCHURCH ICE MAKING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJan. 25, 1960 INVENTOR. Que/2am)? Pal/Z A: BY

fly/d 1 H15 44 T0 IVEY Oct. 17, 1961 P. E. UPCHURCH 3,004,405

ICE MAKING DEVICE Filed Jan. 25, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .niiiill IN V ENTOR.

Paul Upc/uzrc/z 12y H15 ATT RNEY trite 3,004,405 H ICE MAKING DEVICEPaul E. Upchurch, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation,Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware r Filed Jan. 25, 1960, Ser.No. 4,354

9 Claims. (Cl. 62-353) This invention relates to refrigeration andparticularly to ice making machines or apparatuses.

Certain types of so-called automatically operating ice block makingmachines or mechanisms have not been practical or so operable and,therefore, were never produced commercially. Of these machines ormechanisms, there is one in which a mold provided with oppositely facingice, block, forming pockets or compartments is rotated for releasing iceblocks therefrom upon application of heat to the mold, such as the heatof incoming liquid to uprighted pockets thereof. A machine or apparatusof this character is shown and described in the patent toH. W. Clum2,407,058, dated September 3, 1946. In this type of machine orapparatus, a thermally actuated control switch responsive totemperatures of the mold is employed to rotate the mold and is intendedto successively invert oppositely facing ice block forming compartmentstherein. The thermostat control switch is set for actuation to energizean electric motor at a temperature of the mold belowv freezing whichmotor causes a rotation of the mold of 180 to ready the ice blockscontained in the inverted compartments thereof for release therefrom. Ithas been discovered that certain conditions exist or are encountered inan ice block making machine of this type which prevents actuation of thecontrol switch after an initial rotation of the mold in an attempt todischarge ice blocks therefrom. For example, as ice blocks in theinverted-pockets or compartments of the mold begin to thaw, in responseto warmer liquid entering the uprighted compartments, about or adjacentwalls of the inverted compartments, a film of water resulting therefromand located between the compartment walls and ice blocks thereinincontracting in volume thereat, as op osed to water expanding while beingfrozen, creates a vacuum or water seal between the closed bottom wall ofthe inverted compartments and the ice blocks. This vacuum tends tosucker hold the ice blocks in the inverted compartments thus delaying orpreventing their release therefrom and prolonging a rise in thetemperature of the mold by incoming liquid thereto. In such case, thetempeat'ire of the control switch is prevented from being timely orquickly increased or warmed sufficiently to open the mold rotating motorcircuit for stopping rotation of the. mold in a proper water-fillingposition and the ice blocks refreeze in the pockets or compartments inwhich they are retained. In other words, a delay in releasing ice blockfrom the inverted compartments will not permit heat of incoming water tothe mold to be transferred to the control thermostat switch and thisswitch is therefore ineffective to stop rotation of the mold. This is amalfunction in the intended automatic operation of an ice block makingand releasing machine ofthe character referred to thereby causing sameto become inoperative as such. Thus, after the mold in such a machinehas "made an initial 180 rotation, in an attempt to have ice blocksremoved from pockets thereof, the automatic controlof the machine maynever be warmed enough to break or open the mold motor rotating electriccircuit and stop rotation of the mold. I contemplate the provision ofmeans to overcome this fallacy in ice block making machines orapparatuses of the type herein mentioned,

shown and described in the Club patent referred to,

whereby to render the same substantially infallible in automaticoperation. 7.

An object of my invention is to provide an improvement in an ice blockmaking machine or apparatus which will aid in releasing ice blockstherefrom to thereby insure correct and fully automatic operationthereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide a mold for making iceblocks having at least two positions of movement with means whereby,while the mold is in one of its two positions, a body of liquid isretained and frozen therein and which means is effective only When themold is in the other of its said two positions to vent the interiorthereof beneath an ice block contained therein for aiding in releasingthe ice block therefrom.

Another object of my invention is to provide means in an ice blockmanufacturing mechanism for venting the interior of a pocket orcompartment of a rotatably mounted or invertible ice block mold of themechanism to air ambient the mold, upon rotating the mold and invertingthe compartment thereof, through one of the compartment interior wallsat a point therealong normally contacted by an ice block to prevent theice block, while it is being thawed, from sticking or hanging up in thecompartment whereby its quick release therefrom is assured.

A further object of my invention is to provide an automatically operableice block making machine of the type having a rotatably mounted mold andoppositely facing ice block forming compartments therein with meansnormally closing a vent in the bottom of uprighted compartments thereofwhile water is retained and frozen in these compartments which means isrendered effective in response to rotating the mold about its mountingand inverting the ice block containing compartments for opening the ventto air ambient the mold so as to aid in releasing ice blocks therefromwhereby the ice blocks cannot interfere with the automatic operation ofthe machine.

In carrying out the foregoing objects, it is a still further and morespecific object of my invention to provide a rotatably mounted ice blockforming mold in an ice making device with means associated with orincorporated in the rotary mounting of the mold for venting ice blockpockets or compartments thereof as the mold is rotated at a pointbeneath ice blocks therein for aiding in releasing the blocks therefrominto an ice block harvesting receptacle.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side view partly in elevation and partly in section of arotatably mounted ice block mold adapted for use in an automaticallyoperated ice maker and showing ice blocks in the upright compartmentsthereof;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the mold rotated with theice block containing compartments thereof vented and ice blocksreleasing from the inverted compartments; and

FIGURE 3 is a, fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3of FIGURE 1 showing the compartment vent means in the rotary mounting ofthe mold.

As hereinbefore pointed out, my improvement relates primarily to a moldportion and mounting arrangement therefor in an ice maker which isautomatic in operation to freeze liquid in the mold, to rotate the moldand apply heat thereto for releasing ice blocks therefrom and thereafterrerotate the mold to repeat the cycle. Such an ice maker and controlstherefor is disclosed in the patent hereinbefore identified andreference to this patent is made to supplement the present disclosure.For all purposes andintent of my invention, the mold and its mountingPatented Oct. 17, 1961 herein disclosed may be substituted for the moldand its mounting shown in said patent.

Referring now to the drawings, I show in FIGURE 1 thereof a mold,generally represented by the reference numeral 10, preferably cast ofhard aluminum or other good heat conducting material which mold hasoppositely facing pockets or compartments 11 and 12 and is pro videdwitha central mounting bore 13. In order to rotatably mount mold in aninsulated freezing chamber or the like of a refrigerator or ice makercabinet, I project a sleeve or hollow shaft 14 into bore 13 of the mold.Sleeve or shaft 14 is stationarily secured at its forward squared end 16to a mounting bracket 17 in any suitable or conventional manner. Themold 10 is provided at its rear end with an integral cam 18substantially corresponding to and for the purpose of the cam disclosedin the Clum patent which operates the water valve switch. Mold 10 alsohas an integral shaft-like extension 19 projecting through a bearing,indicated at 21 and mounted in a well of a boss formed in wall 22 of acabinet, and provided with a gear 23 secured thereto adapted to meshwith a gear on a shaft of an electric motor (not shown) for successivelyrotating the mold throughout 180 of rotation about the horizontal axisof sleeve 14. A thermostatic switch 24, substantially corresponding tothe control thermostatic switch in the Clum patent for eifectingrotation of the mold, is stationarily mounted upon a spring bracket 26secured to wall 22 of the cabinet and this switch serves to energize theelectric motor and rotate, mold 10 under temperature changes thereof.Switch 24 is set to close when its temperature is reduced to the pointat which water in the mold freezes solid for energizing the moldrotating motor while it remains open above this temperature. Springbracket 26 biases thermostatic switch 24 against the end of mold 10 soas to maintain the switch in metal to metal contact with the mold and,consequently, responsive to the temperature thereof. The stationaryhollow mounting sleeve 14 has spaced apart apertures 31 provided in itsannular wall which, like the sleeve, remain stationary as mold 10 isrotated. Suitable means, such as rubber or the like sealing rings 32,are compressed in grooves between the bore 13 of mold 10 and mountingsleeve 14 to prevent liquid received in the mold from seeping outwardlythereof along its mounting. Mold It) is movable into at least twodifferent positions and the walls of pockets or compartments 11 and 12are tapered outwardly in the direction of the open end of thecompartments. The bottom wall 34 of each of the oppositely facingpockets or compartments 11 and 12 has an opening 36 extendedtherethrough and this opening in the uprighted compartments 11 isnormally closed by the annular wall of sleeve 14 whereby thesecompartments retain a body of liquid to be frozen therein. Openings 36are vertically aligned with apertures 31 in sleeve 14 and are adapted tobe alternately brought into registration therewith for a purpose to behereafter described in order that the objects of my invention may'becarried out.

The ice making machine or device may be placed in operation as describedin the Clum patent until water is flown from a preferably multipleoutlet pipe or the like into the individual compartments 11 up to apredetermined measured body of liquid therein. At this time, switch 24is open and cannot energize the electric motor employed 'to rotate mold1i Compartments 11 or mold 10 retain the Water received therein, byvirtue of the openings 36 thereof being closed by sleeve 14, and thiswater is adapted to be hard-frozen in the compartments 11 into separatedice blocks. After water in compartments 11 become completely frozen, thetemperature of the metal at the rear inverted compartment 12 lowers andat thi time thermostatic switch 24 in contact therewith closes. Closingof switch 24 energizes an electric motor having a gear on its shaftmeshing with gear 23 to rotate mold 10 approximately 180 about itsstationary mounting, sleeve 14, to simultaneously invert the ice blockcontaining compart- 4. ments 11. As compartments 11 are inverted, theoppositely facing compartments 12 are uprighted (see FIG URE 2) andsubstantially filled with a body of liquid entering the mold fromexteriorly of the chamber in which it is mounted. The heat of thisincoming above-freezing temperatured liquid or water is adapted to bequickly conducted by the metallic mold 10 to walls of the inverted iceblock containing compartments 11. The water contained in the nowuprighted compartments 12 is above freezing and its heat is applied toice blocks positioned in the inverted compartments 11. It is to be notedthat the rotation of mold 10 has rotated and brought openings 36 in thebottom wall 34 of compartments 11 into aligned registration with theapertures 31 in the annular wall of stationary sleeve 14. As the heat ofwater in uprighted compartments 12 is absorbed by ice blocks in theinverted compartments 11, the ice blocks thaw and melt a thin of wateralong the surface of thecompartments, and since the compartments are nowvented at a point therealong normally contacted by ice blocks therein toair ambient mold 10, the ice blocks quickly fall from compartments 1].by gravity into a storage or harvesting receptacle below mold 10. Byvirtue of venting the inverted ice block compartments as herein shownand described and causing immediate release of thawed ice blockstherefrom, the heat of water contained in the uprighted compartments 12is rapidly conducted to thermostat switch 24. Since mold 10 is nowdevoid of ice blocks, their temperature cannot affect switch 24 to delayactuation thereof and this switch is warmed by the mold to open the moldrotating motor circuit and stop rotation of the mold at its properwater-filling position. With the ice blocks being aided in releasingfrom the inverted compartments 11 as explained to positively causeopening of thermostat switch 24, this switch must, in order to beactuated closed for rotating mold 10, await a reduction in temperatureof the mold below a water freezing temperature. After ice blocks arecompletely frozen in the uprighted compart ments 12, the below freezingtemperature of mold 10 is conducted to switch 24 and this switch isagain closed to cause a subsequent rotation of the mold for releasingice blocks from its compartments 12. The accumulation of ice blocks in areceptacle below mold 10 may be utilized to discontinue operation of theautomatically operated mechanisms as shown and described in the Clumpatent to stop production of ice blocks in the ice maker device untilsuch time as more ice blocks are desired.

It should, from the foregoing disclosed mold compartment ventingarrangement, be apparent that I have made an improvement inventionwithout which certain types of so-called automatically operated iceblock making machines or apparatuses are or will, upon being put intooperation, become inoperable as such. My invention therefore overcomes afallacy in certain published ice making device disclosures and rendersthem practical and fully automatic in operation whereby they may attaina reality instead of a mere disclosure. The ice block ventingarrangement herein disclosed is applied to mold compartment walls at apoint therealong normally contacted by ice blocks therein asdistinguished from ice blocks in mold compartments exposed at the openend of the compartments to air ambient a mold as is conventional. Inthis respect, I have provided a vent in a mold compartment wall which isclosed while the mold is in one of two movable positions thereof, so asto retainlliquid adapted to be frozen therein into an ice block, andwhich vent is effective only when the mold is moved into the other. ofits two positions of movement for aiding in releasing an ice block fromits compartment. While I have set forth my invention as pertaining toone type of ice making machine or mechanism, it is to be understood thataiding in the release of ice blocks from their compartments, in responseto rotating a mold and venting the compartments, anay have a wide ordiversified use in the art.

While the embodiment of the present invention as heret p-t in disclosed,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. An ice making device comprising, a rotatably mounted mold havingoppositely facing compartments, means for rotating the mold about itsmounting to suecessively bring said compartments into position toreceive liquid and to have the liquid received in one of saidcompartments frozen into an ice block, said one compartment beinginverted by said rotating means to ready the ice block releasabletherefnom by liquid received in the other of said oppositely facingcompartments, and means rendered effective by the inversion of said onecompartment for venting the interior thereof through one of its walls ata point therealong contacted by the ice block therein to air ambient themold for aiding release of said ice block from said one compartment.

2. An ice making device comprising, a rotatably mounted mold havingoppositely facing compartments, means for rotating the mold about itsmounting to successively bring said compartments into position toreceive liquid and to have the liquid received in one of saidcompartments frozen into an ice block, said one compartment beinginverted by said rotating means to ready the ice block releasabletherefrom by liquid received in the other of said oppositely facingcompartments, and means within the rotatable mounting of said moldrendered effective by the inversion of said one compartment for ventingthe interior thereof through one of its walls at a point therealongcontacting the ice block therein to air ambient the mold for aidingrelease of said ice block from said one compartment.

3. In combination, a mold having a compartment for receiving a body ofliquid adapted to be frozen within the compartment into an ice block,means for rotatably mounting the mold, said means comprising astationarily anchored sleeve projected into a bore provided in the moldand about which said mold is to be rotated, at least one end of saidsleeve being exposed to air ambient the mold, said sleeve having anaperture in its annular wall located opposite said mold compartment, thewall of said compartment adjacent the bore in the mold being providedwith an opening extending therethrough normally closed by said sleevewall and adapted to be brought into registration with the aperturetherein, and means for rotating said mold about said mounting means tosubstantially invert said compartment and shift the opening in its wallinto alignment with the aperture in said annular wall of said stationarysleeve to vent the compartment at a point contacted by the ice blocktherein to thereby aid in releasing said ice block therefrom.

4. An ice making device comprising, a rotatably mounted mold having acompartment for receiving a body of liquid to be frozen within thecompartment into an ice block, means for rotating the mold about itsmounting to invert said compartment and ready the ice block for releasetherefrom, and means within the rotatable mount of said mold renderedeffective by the inversion of said compartment for venting the interiorthereof through a wall of the compartment at a point therealongcontacting the ice block therein to air ambient the mold for aidingrelease of said ice block from the device.

5. A mold having oppositely facing compartments one of which receiveswater adapted to be frozen in said one compartment into an ice block,means for rotatably mounting said mold, said mounting means comprising astationarily anchored sleeve projected into a bore provided in the moldintermediate said compartments and about which said mold is to berotated, at least one end of said sleeve being exposed to air ambientthe mold, said sleeve having an aperture in its annular wall locatedopposite said one of the oppositely facing compartments, the wall ofsaid compartments adjacent the bore in the mold each being provided withan opening extending therethrough, the opening in said one compartmentWall normally being closed by said sleeve Wall and adapted to be broughtinto registration with the aperture therein, means for rotating saidmold about said mounting means to substantially invert said onecompartment and rotate the other of said op positely facing compartmentsinto a water receiving position, and the rotation of said mold shiftingthe opening of said one compartment 'wall into alignment with theaperture in said annular wall of said stationary sleeve to vent saidinverted compartment through its normal bottom wall contacted by the iceblock therein to thereby aid in releasing said ice block therefrom.

6. A movable mold adapted while in one position to receive and retain abody of liquid to be frozen into an ice block therein and adapted to beshifted out of said one position into another position, means renderedeffective solely by shifting the mold from said one position to saidanother position for venting the interior of said mold through a wallportion thereof contacted by the ice block before breaking a bondbetween said ice block and the mold, and the venting of said mold withthe ice block bonded therein then aiding release of said ice block fromwalls of the mold.

7. A movable mold adapted while in one position to receive and retain abody of liquid to be frozen into an ice block therein and adapted to beshifted out of said one position into another position, means renderedeffective only as and solely by shifting the mold from said one positionto said another position for venting the interior of said mold through awall portion thereof contacted by the ice block before breaking a bondbetween said ice block and the mold, walls of said mold being adapted tobe warmed after the mold has been so shifted, and the venting of saidmold with the ice block bonded therein aiding release of said ice blockfrom walls of the mold when they are warmed.

8. A mold mounted for rotation into at least two positions and adaptedto receive and retain a body of liquid in one of said positions to befrozen into an ice block therein, means for rotating said mold into theother of its said two positions, means rendered effective solely by therotation of said mold into said other position for venting the interiorthereof through one of its walls contacted by the ice block beforebreaking a bond between said ice block and the mold, and the venting ofsaid mold with the ice block bonded therein then aiding release of saidice block from walls of the mold.

9. An ice making device comprising, a rotatably mounted mold having acompartment for receiving and retaining a body of liquid to be frozentherein into an ice block, means for rotating the mold about itsmounting to invert said compartment, means rendered effective solely bythe rotation of said mold for venting the interior of said compartmentthrough a wall thereof contacted by the ice block before breaking a bondbetween said ice block and the compartment, and the venting of saidinverted compartment with the ice block bonded therein then aidinggravitational release of said ice block from walls of the compartment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,407,058 Clum Sept. 3, 1946 2,522,651 Van Vleck Sept. 19, 19502,612,030 Ploeger Sept. 30, 1952 2,729,070 Ames Jan. 3, 1956

